Morrissey @ Festival Hall, Melbourne (19/12/2012)
It was a gloomy Melbourne afternoon as patrons gathered round Festival Hall, shielding each other from the intermittent rain and attempting to ignore the grey skies above. Aha! Morrissey was in town!
Upon entering the venue, we were greeted with an enormous projector screen playing all sorts of tunes from the ‘70s, mostly those from David Bowie and American rock band The Sparks. An excellent choice in firing up a pop-rock hungry crowd.
Before plunging into the excellence that is Morrissey, let’s take a step back to see what we are dealing with here. If ever you were to ask a fan “So, what is this bloke like?” – expect an abundance of god-like references.
Morrissey and his former band, The Smiths, gained considerable media attention after releasing their debut album The Smiths in 1984. Four years later he released his first solo album and continued to share the notoriously pessimistic, sorrowful tunes that are The Smiths’ hallmark. The audience savoured the opportunity presented by these lads to finally take pleasure in their sorrows. Here is a band not ashamed to complain about the first world problems that all of us seem to come across.
As the projection sheet fell, the stage lit up. Five men wearing white collared shirts appeared, followed by the brilliant Steven Morrissey himself. It seemed too good to be true. The crowd roared as the band picked up their instruments and dove into the classic Smiths tune Shoplifters Of The World Unite.
The opening song of a gig needs to set the benchmark; that’s exactly what Morrissey did. The room quickly filled with silence and we found ourselves lapsed into appreciative contemplation.
He led his band into the second song of the night, Alma Matters, reaching into the crowd and acknowledging those who have supported The Smiths’ since their 1984 debut album. It was really special to see someone idolised by so many reaching back, and thanking his long-time supporters.
As the night progressed, Morrissey shared his views on carnivorous behaviour, painting the picture of people as ‘vile flesh eaters’. I have to admit, I spent the next three days living off vegetables. This is the kind of effect Morrissey has on people; it’s outrageously awesome. You want to be just like him. One patron even yelled “You’re better than us!”
Reinforcing the idea of vegetarianism, the band dove into their popular melody Meat Is Murder, also the title of The Smith’s second album released in 1985. The images accompanying the tune, showing caged animals clearly being mistreated, were beyond powerful. A quick mention to the local animals – “Hello to all the animals trapped in Melbourne zoo… I’m thinking of you” – provoked cheers of agreement from the crowd.
I know what you are thinking. What a legend. At one point the microphone was given to fans as they explained how grateful they were for the honesty and pure sorrow that translates through Morrissey’s music. Many also shared how they chose to become vegan because of the man that stood before them.
Just as we thought the night couldn’t get any better, the man of the night exclaimed how fantastic he thought it was to be in Melbourne. Before we could cheer, the lights began to flicker and the sound of dirty, distorted sirens filled our ear drums. It was none other than the magnificent How Soon Is Now. Boy oh boy, what a great feeling it was to witness this song live. The band’s giant gong, to the rear of the stage, lit up with each bang and really added that extra oomph of drama.
At one point in the night I felt like Joseph Gordon-Levitt in 500 Days of Summer, swaying guiltily to Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want; a song that perfectly depicts the malaise everyone has experienced at one point in their life. It almost seemed as though everybody had that same feeling of sorrow so perfectly translated by Morrissey. It was a wonderful moment.
Eventually that time of the night arrived, leaving the crowd yelling for more. Morrissey disappeared offstage, returning five minutes later sporting the British flag around his waist. The final song of the night, First Of The Gang To Die (from 2004’s You Are The Quarry), seemed to enthuse the crowd more than ever; they threw their fists to the sky and sang every verse. One patron was so overwhelmed with excitement he jumped on stage and was given the very flag around Morrissey’s waist. Whew, what an honour! Another was so overcome he was removed from the venue after the singer removed his t-shirt. All in all, it was an excellent night that anyone would have been lucky to attend.
Kim Tedge
Follow me on Twitter - @Kimmers90
Check out our photos from the night here!
Upon entering the venue, we were greeted with an enormous projector screen playing all sorts of tunes from the ‘70s, mostly those from David Bowie and American rock band The Sparks. An excellent choice in firing up a pop-rock hungry crowd.
Before plunging into the excellence that is Morrissey, let’s take a step back to see what we are dealing with here. If ever you were to ask a fan “So, what is this bloke like?” – expect an abundance of god-like references.
Morrissey and his former band, The Smiths, gained considerable media attention after releasing their debut album The Smiths in 1984. Four years later he released his first solo album and continued to share the notoriously pessimistic, sorrowful tunes that are The Smiths’ hallmark. The audience savoured the opportunity presented by these lads to finally take pleasure in their sorrows. Here is a band not ashamed to complain about the first world problems that all of us seem to come across.
As the projection sheet fell, the stage lit up. Five men wearing white collared shirts appeared, followed by the brilliant Steven Morrissey himself. It seemed too good to be true. The crowd roared as the band picked up their instruments and dove into the classic Smiths tune Shoplifters Of The World Unite.
The opening song of a gig needs to set the benchmark; that’s exactly what Morrissey did. The room quickly filled with silence and we found ourselves lapsed into appreciative contemplation.
He led his band into the second song of the night, Alma Matters, reaching into the crowd and acknowledging those who have supported The Smiths’ since their 1984 debut album. It was really special to see someone idolised by so many reaching back, and thanking his long-time supporters.
As the night progressed, Morrissey shared his views on carnivorous behaviour, painting the picture of people as ‘vile flesh eaters’. I have to admit, I spent the next three days living off vegetables. This is the kind of effect Morrissey has on people; it’s outrageously awesome. You want to be just like him. One patron even yelled “You’re better than us!”
Reinforcing the idea of vegetarianism, the band dove into their popular melody Meat Is Murder, also the title of The Smith’s second album released in 1985. The images accompanying the tune, showing caged animals clearly being mistreated, were beyond powerful. A quick mention to the local animals – “Hello to all the animals trapped in Melbourne zoo… I’m thinking of you” – provoked cheers of agreement from the crowd.
I know what you are thinking. What a legend. At one point the microphone was given to fans as they explained how grateful they were for the honesty and pure sorrow that translates through Morrissey’s music. Many also shared how they chose to become vegan because of the man that stood before them.
Just as we thought the night couldn’t get any better, the man of the night exclaimed how fantastic he thought it was to be in Melbourne. Before we could cheer, the lights began to flicker and the sound of dirty, distorted sirens filled our ear drums. It was none other than the magnificent How Soon Is Now. Boy oh boy, what a great feeling it was to witness this song live. The band’s giant gong, to the rear of the stage, lit up with each bang and really added that extra oomph of drama.
At one point in the night I felt like Joseph Gordon-Levitt in 500 Days of Summer, swaying guiltily to Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want; a song that perfectly depicts the malaise everyone has experienced at one point in their life. It almost seemed as though everybody had that same feeling of sorrow so perfectly translated by Morrissey. It was a wonderful moment.
Eventually that time of the night arrived, leaving the crowd yelling for more. Morrissey disappeared offstage, returning five minutes later sporting the British flag around his waist. The final song of the night, First Of The Gang To Die (from 2004’s You Are The Quarry), seemed to enthuse the crowd more than ever; they threw their fists to the sky and sang every verse. One patron was so overwhelmed with excitement he jumped on stage and was given the very flag around Morrissey’s waist. Whew, what an honour! Another was so overcome he was removed from the venue after the singer removed his t-shirt. All in all, it was an excellent night that anyone would have been lucky to attend.
Kim Tedge
Follow me on Twitter - @Kimmers90
Check out our photos from the night here!